The Showdown: Moka Pot vs French Press

The Moka pot vs French Press battle (well, its not that dramatic) is ongoing amongst coffee lovers across the globe. In the world of coffee snobs, everyone has a strong opinion about which one produces the best brew. And Opinions are not exactly helpful if you're trying to decide between the two products; the expression "each to their own" applies in the world of coffee.

I use both, often, so I'm going to (attempt to) give you an unbiased overview of each device along with pros and cons to help make the decision a little easier for you.

The Showdown: Moka Pot vs French Press

If I compared every aspect of these two products we'd be here for days. That being said, lets take a brief look at the features that should make the biggest impact on your decision.

1. Time: From Bean > Brew

Prep time should always be a big factor to consider when looking into a new brewing method. How much time are you willing to spend preparing your coffee? Is this for a morning commute or a leisurely weekend treat? Are you patient?

For a Moka pot, the biggest time investment is going to be heating the water. Once the water reaches boiling, the actual extraction doesn't take very long. However, you won't want to leave the pot unattended, because there's a high likelihood you'll end up with bitter coffee. If you prepare your basket of grounds ahead of time, you'll need 10 minutes start to finish.

For a French press, you can't prep anything ahead of time. Each batch of coffee needs to be ground as freshly as possible. The water must be heated to just under boiling separately, and the steeping and plunging process will take about five minutes on top of that.

It's possible to get a good routine established, but you'll still need 10-15 minutes for the whole process.

WINNER - While it's close, the Moka pot wins this round for taking less time to prep, brew and clean up.

2. Grind Flexibility & Convenience

Your Moka pot has a special brew basket that you fill with ground coffee. The nice thing about these pots is that you can grab your favorite pre-ground coffee because the standard grind setting works just fine.

If you prefer to grind your beans, however, there is plenty of room to fine-tune your grind. Just be sure not to go too fine; otherwise the water won't be able to push through the grounds, and you'll end up with a weak extraction (our worst nightmare)

Because the French press relies so heavily on steeping, the coffee needs to be ground as coarsely as possible to maximize surface area for extraction. What does this mean? It means you'll need to invest in a grinder if you want the best quality brew because the best brews come from very coarsely ground beans.

If you plan just to throw your standard fine grinds into your French Press, don't expect a great brew.

WINNER - The Moka pot definitively wins this round. The ability to use pre-ground coffee is a major plus in my book. If you already have a grinder, however, its a tie.

3. Ease of Brewing

Moka pots do require a little skill, in the beginning, and even the pros concede there is always room for technique improvement. The one major complaint about Moka pots is the potential for under-extraction - it happens more often then you'd like.

Typically, when this happens, it's an issue of grind size or tamping. Both of these issues can be resolved though it may take several brews to figure out what combination of tamping technique and grind size yields the best extraction for you. Be aware that tamping must be done lightly; too hard and you'll limit the water getting through the grinds.

The French Press requires a certain level of skill, but in my opinion, the brew method is more reliable. As long as you follow the steps laid out here you are guaranteed a strong, delicious brew. As with Moka pots, there is always room for tweaking and improving your technique, but there are fewer variables to consider.

WINNER - This one goes to the French press. Both methods yield great coffee, but the French press is a little more foolproof.

The End Result - Quality

Moka pots produce coffee under pressure, similar to the mechanism for brewing espresso. However, Moka pots extract at a much lower pressure than espresso machines, so it isn't exactly a replacement.

It does still offer a much more concentrated brew than drip or French press, though. There is also the possibility of achieving a bit of sweet crema in a Moka pot brew.

The French Press relies on the oils and flavors roasted in the bean to produce the best brew: this leaves you with much more room for flavor variation. Steeping also tends to leave a heavy, sometimes oily mouth feel without necessarily delivering extra flavor.

Some people enjoy this, so that is a matter of personal preference. Overall, French presses extract very nuanced flavor and give even lighter roasted coffees a full-bodied feel.

WINNER - This one is a tough split because it's totally subjective. The Moka pot offers a much punchier cup of coffee (think 'Italian espresso'), where the French Press, leaves you with a smooth, aromatic blend. What's your preference?

THE VERDICT

Moka pots require more skill and a longer period of trial-and-error to achieve the perfect brew, but once you get there, you have the ability to produce both weaker and stronger brews, as well as the ability to produce near-espresso-quality extraction at home.

If you're like me, and you enjoy experimenting while still having an extreme degree of control over how your coffee turns out, I highly recommend the Moka pot.